1. Technical Field
This invention relates to lottery card holding apparatuses and, more particularly, to a lottery card holding and marking apparatus for holding and marking a lottery ticket during playing conditions.
2. Prior Art
One reason for the great popularity of scratch-off lottery tickets is that they are freely accessible. The lottery ticket is unique in that unlike other games of chance, such as bingo or any variety of casino games, the product is in the form of a ticket which comes to the consumer, not vice versa. That is to say, scratch-off lottery tickets are sold at establishments such as convenience stores, liquor stores, filling stations, as well as other retail outlets. The buyer of such tickets usually makes his or her purchase as an afterthought, with the ticket usually being bought because it, as well as change in the form of cash, happened to be available at the checkout counter of an establishment which the purchaser patronized. Establishments such as those listed above generally have certain characteristics in common: a steady stream of people, little or no privacy afforded the patron, and a limited amount of area or space.
Another unique aspect of the lottery ticket is the desire of many purchasers to be afforded at least some degree of privacy when conducting the act of exposing the ticket's variables. While there are no known scientific studies which have explored this phenomena, it is reasonable to assume that the typical purchaser does not wish for a stranger to witness the results of his or her gamble for fear that he or she will look the part of a fool when it is shown that his or her lottery ticket yielded the purchaser nothing. Alternatively, the purchaser may fear that he or she will appear foolish if, for example, he or she becomes excited when a token sum is won and reinvested at once in more tickets, on the hope that one of them may contain the numbers or symbols needed to win the maximum lottery prize. One optimal place to be afforded the desired space, comfort, and privacy needed to enjoy and appreciate the act of exposing lottery tickets is the inside of the parked or otherwise disengaged automobile driven by the purchaser to the filling station, convenience store, or liquor store.
Unfortunately, scratch-off lottery cards usually employ a latex type surface layer which is to be scraped to expose the hidden indicia. The resulting residue is not only unsightly, but is difficult to remove from fabric and upholstery as well. Further, unless the buyer of the ticket has a hard surface such as a book or the like upon which to scrape the ticket, he or she will likely use, out of necessity, a clumsy surface such as the dash-board or one's knee for under support. Thus, the hard-to-clean residue may end up on the car seat, in the fabric of one's clothes, or in the car's carpeted floor. What is needed is a device which allows for accommodation of one's desire to play the lottery in the privacy while ensuring that by doing so, he or she will not become uncomfortable by not having a solid surface on which to write or scratch on the surface of a lottery ticket.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,518 to Chiappetta discloses an invention that is designed to use with lottery tickets. It includes a container to hold at least ten lottery tickets. The container houses a scraper designed to remove the coating from the tickets, a protective lip which covers the “void if removed” section of the ticket, and a slot to allow for easy disposal of the residue coating through the bottom of the container. Unfortunately, this prior art example does not include a surface specifically designed for supporting a lottery ticket during playing conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,720 to Shultz discloses a lottery ticket scratch tray provided to promote the clean and efficient removal of opaque coverings shielding lottery ticket variables. The device includes a square or rectangularly shaped smooth surface surrounded by four walls. Built into the device is a slot through which debris from spent tickets may be deposited. This debris stored beneath the smooth surface and may be disposed of through the removal of a slidable drawer which serves as the storage compartment. The device further contains a novel hook-and-loop fastening system to aid in the storage of the device. Unfortunately, this prior art example does not assist a user in playing all types of lottery tickets.
Accordingly, the present invention is disclosed in order to overcome the above noted shortcomings. The present invention is convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, and designed for holding and marking a lottery ticket during playing conditions. The lottery card holding and marking apparatus is simple to use, inexpensive, and designed for man years of repeated use.